Spring-box for frogs, switches, &amp;c.



No. 054,039. Patented my I7, |000.

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SPRING BOX FOR FRUGS, SWITCHES, &c.

(Application med may 31, 1900A (No Model.)

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WILLIAM VI-IARTON, JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE IVILLIAM IVIIARTON, JR., it COMPANY, INCORPORATED,.OF

SAME PLACE.

sPRlNe-sox Foa Faces, SWITCHES, ew.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent yl\T 0. 654,039, dated July' 17, 1900.

Application filed May 31, 1900.

To tZZ whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM WHARTON, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Spring-Boxes for Frogs, Switches, doc., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in spring-boxes for'railway switches, frogs, dac., being a companion application to that led by Warner B. Cooke November 18, 1899, Serial No. 737,513; and the object of my invention is to simplify the construction of the box, as fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a frog, illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 isa section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are perspective views illustrating details of my invention. Fig. 7 is a view of the box-blank before being bent, and Fig. 8 is a view of a modification of the box.

Spring-boxes are used in connection with railway switches and frogs to keep the movable rail pressed firmly against the fixed rail, while allowing the movable rail to yield when forced over by the iange of a car-wheel passing between the fixed rail and the movable rail.

A A are fixed rails, A being the main rail, and Al the rail of a siding or turnout, which has a xed relation to the rail A.

A2 is the iixed wing-rail of the frog, and A3 is the movable wing rail. While I have shown a frog construction in this instance, it will be understood that my invention may be used in connection with ordinary spring switch-rails and in other places where it is desirable to hold a movable rail in yielding contact with the fixed rail.

B is the spring-box, and D is the base-plate, upon which the spring-box is mounted. This plate extends under the rails A A A2A3 and is secured to the rails A Al A2, and the baseplate forms a suitable support upon which the rail A3 can slide. The box B is made from a blank, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, having a rear extension l?. W'hen the box is bent to a suitable form, as shown in Fig. 4, the

Serial No. 18,576. (No model.)

central portion h forms the top of the box, the portions b2 at each side form the sides of the box, and the extensions bsform the iianges by which the box is secured to the base-plate. The rear extension l) is turned down to form the rear end of the box and has a flange b4 turned out, which extends under the lip d on the base-plate D. Bolts c or other suitable fastenings are used to secure the box to the base-plate, and the central holes at each side receive the spikes which secure the structure to the tie. An adjusting-screw E is mounted on the back plate h of the box and has a collar on the inner side and is headed, so that it can be turned by a wrench.

F is a square washer or plate adapted to the box and has a threaded opening through which passes the screw E.

G, Figs. 2 and 5, is a sliding plate bent at an angle, as shown, and having a projecting pin g. Mounted between this plate and the washer F are one or more springs I. I have shown two in the present instance; but a single spring may be used, if desired. The pin g and the screw E support the springs.

Secured to the side of the rail A3 is a Te shaped plate I-I, bent as clearly shown in Fig. 6, forming a projection h, rounded at the end and adapted to bear against the vertical portion ofthe slide G. The wings h of the T- shaped plate H are secured to the web of the rail by bolts or other fastenings.

It will be seen by the above description that the spring-box is so situated as to keep the rail A3 normally in contact with the fixed rail A; but when a car-wheel traverses the rail A its iiange will force the movable rail A3 away from the rail A and will compress the springs Iin the spring-box B. As soon as the flange of the wheel has passed through the opening thus made the rail A3 will be immediately forced back to its normal position by the springs.

By making thev spring-box with a depending portion at the rear, extending in front of a lip on the base-plate, the thrust is taken up by the end of the box itself and all intermediate devices are dispensed with, and where the rear extension has a flange b4, over which extends a lip d, the rear portion of the box is roo held down upon the base-plate Without other fastenings. In some instances, however, I may make the box as shown in the modiiication, Fig. 8, in which the iiange b4 is dispensed with and a lip is simply turned up on the baseplate.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination in a spring-box for frogs, switches, &c.,of a base-plate and a plate bent to form the top, the rear and the sides of a box, and means for securing the said box to the plate, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a spring-box for frogs, switches, &c., of a base-plate, and a plate bent to form the top, the two sides With their flan ges and the rear of the box,said base.

plate having a vertical lip at the rear overlapping the rear -plate of the box, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a spring-box for frogs, switches, duc., of a base-plate secured to the iixed rails, a movable rail adapted to slide on the base-plate, a spring-box bent up from sheet metal so as to form the top, the sides and the rear of the box, the rear portion having a flange, a lip on the base-plate overlapping the said ange, a spring within the box, and a projection on the movable rail to bear against the spring, substantially as described. 

